


Grease Stains That Looks Suspiciously Like Love Notes

by someonehasto



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Background Ana Amari/Pharah's dad, Background Torbjorn/Reinhardt, Background Torbjorn/Torbjorn's wife, F/F, brigitte has two dads and a mom and a cool aunt, fareeha has a mom and a dad and 4 cool uncles and 2 dumb brothers, happy poly parents, happy poly parents happy for their gay daughters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-01-29 18:32:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12636777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/someonehasto/pseuds/someonehasto
Summary: They grew up together and they're forever greatful for that.





	1. Chapter 1

Ana watched her daughter carefully. Her face was pressed against the wooden bars of the baby's crib. Her cheeks smushed against them and her dark eyes wide with curiosity.

"Her name is Brigitte." Torbjörn said puffing out his chest. He stood on the other side of the crib, smiling broadly down at the two children. Reinhardt was crouched next to him, poking his fingers through the bars and wiggling them gleefully, trying to entertain the baby.

"Hi, Brigitte." Fareeha said slowly. She was only 3 then. Full of more curiosity and wonder for the world around her than Ana ever remembered having.

"So the paperwork is all through then?" Ana asked watching the two children. "She's officially your daughter?"

Torbjörn's smile shone through his beard like the sun, his eyes a little watery.

"She is!"

"And I assume you've already sworn fealty to her safety Reinhardt? Just like Fareeha?"

Reinhardt looked up, his own eyes large and shining with pride.

"Oh course!"

Torbjörn nudged him, and Reinhardt immediately clapped his hands over his mouth.

"Sorry." he whispered.

"He's just excited for you." Ana continued. "So am I."

Fareeha was still peering at Brigitte, standing on her tiptoes to get a better look. Brigitte for the most part was transfixed on the mobile above her bed, blinking slowly as she looked from spinning rocket ship to planet to star.

"I’m sure Fareeha is excited to have a new playmate, aren’t you habibti?"

She nodded, not taking her face off the infant.

"Can I say hi to her?"

"You did just a moment ago." Torbjörn chuckled.

She pouted, straining to stand on her tiptoes again.

"I think she wants in the crib."

Fareeha nodded, finally turning to look at her mother. Ana looked at Torbjörn, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure." he said slowly. "But, uh, be careful."

She knelt down and picked Fareeha up into her arms.

"Oh course. You’ll be especially careful, won’t you Fareeha?”

Her daughter nodded as a small smile broke through her

“I'm going to place you in there alright? But you have to be extra careful and extra delicate. Remember Brigitte is just a baby."

Fareeha nodded again, scrunching up her face in focus.

Ana lifted her over the crib walls, past the sensors and monitors Torbjörn had built into it, and gently sat her daughter next to Brigitte. Brigitte was undisturbed by the new guest, only reaching out to feel at Fareeha knees as she crossed her legs. The two remained quiet, studying each other.

"I’m Fareeha." Fareeha said waving at her.

Reinhardt, still crouched by the crib, smiled at the two of them, his eyes starting to tear up.

"Camera camera camera!" Torbjörn hissed pushing at Ana's arm. But she was already fumbling for it herself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back at it again with the ooc contrived fluff.

Fareeha was 5. It was snowing out and she hated it.

She'd seen snow before and liked it. Plenty of times. Her dad had taken her sled riding and helped her build her first ever snow man last year! But snow wasn’t as fun when you had to be out in it against your will and when there was the promise of hot cocoa inside. She was cold and tired and wanted chocolate.

"Are they here yet?" She asked, looking up at her mom.

"They’re still on their way."

"When are they gonna get here?"

"In a few minutes."

“But the chocolate will be cold by then.”

“No it won’t be.”

Fareeha let out a whine, crowding against her mother’s leg and trying to pull every inch of herself into the warmth of her puffy blue coat. They stood under an eave out back of the bunkhouse. It was where they lived. Where most of Fareeha’s entire family lived. Her mom and dad and Jack and Gabriel and Brigitte. A part of the compound, just a monorail ride away from where all the big buildings and the statues were. Where her mom went to work.

In the summer she loved playing in the back yard on the swing set and the jungle gym that had been built just for her. But it was cold now and she didn’t feel like playing outside. The yard stretched far and wide. Off in the distance she could see the playset covered in snow, the monkey bars too slippery and the swings swaying sadly in the gentle snowfall.

Fareeha shook herself from her thoughts. It had to have been hours by then, she was sure of it. A car had finally pulled up past the back gate and into the vast driving path of the building. Atop it was a very large very green pine tree.

"Let’s go!" she shouted grabbing her mom’s hand and running towards the car.

"Fareeha!"

"Let’s go, let’s go!"

The car halted, the lights turned off.Torbjorn stepped out, smiling and waving at the two of them.

"Sorry for the wait. Lad at the lot wanted to argue over whether or not I could cut down the tree."

“Did he honestly think you wouldn’t be able to?”

“No but he said the tree wasn’t on their property.”

"Hurry up its freezing!" Fareeha cut in.

"Fareeha!" her mom snapped.

Torbjorn let out a laugh, circling around the car to undo the cables that held the tree in place.

"We'll move as quickly as we can sweetheart."

"You’d think being such a polar bear like her father she wouldn’t mind waiting a few minutes." Her mother huffed, going to help him.

"Well it’s different when you’ve got hot chocolate waiting I suppose."

Her mom began taking down the tree while Torbjorn went to unlock the back door. A few moments later Brigitte waddled around the car and up to her, smiling brightly. Fareeha grabbed her hand and led her towards the bunkhouse back doors.

"Come on we're getting cocoa."

Brigitte said something that was probably Swedish, or maybe just babble, but followed behind her as they headed inside.

Of course as soon as they were inside, Fareeha felt all too warm. She directed her companion to stomp her feet, which she did to little success. She removed both their coats and laid them in a near heap next to the entrance.  
The common room of the building was huge. At least in Fareeha’s eyes. She always felt so small under the tall ceilings, the walls of posters and news clippings, and the intricate lights that hung from the ceiling. There were large plush couches and chairs circled around the center of the room. A roaring fireplace that had just been kindled. The tv in the corner was set to some news channel instead of Fareeha’s usual cartoons, but the stacks of toys by it were still there where she had left them. Over in the other corner was a stand where the tree would be put.

Fareeha began to walk towards the inviting fire, but was quickly stopped by a familiar booming voice.

“Don’t forget to take off your shoes Pharah!”

Her friend, being a toddler, quickly ran onto the carpet towards Reinhardt as he rounded the corner towards them.

"Ah, Brigitte." He said lifting her up. "Is your papa back with the tree already?”

She shrieked happily and Reinhardt planted a kiss on her cheek before walking to Fareeha.

"You said you’d make us cocoa once they got back." Fareeha said looking at Brigitte for back up. She just gurgled, yanking happily at the festive scarf around Reinhardt’s neck. Brigitte was a slow learner when it came to guilting the adults into stuff.

"It’s already made." he smiled undoing Brigitte’s boots and getting them off. "Let me go help Torby and your mother and then I’ll serve you some with extra whip cream, ya?"

“Sprinkles too!” Fareeha said, quickly trying to kick off her own shoes.

"Sprinkles of course!" he said, standing. "You think I would forget the sprinkles?"

Brigitte tottered after him. Fareeha stayed still, wanting to wait for her cocoa, but felt left out and decided to follow after.

Her mom and Torbjorn had just come through the door, pine tree angled weirdly between them.

"You two look like a circus performance with that thing." Reinhardt said coming up to them.

"You should have seen me dragging the tree back to the car. Brigitte was very intent on climbing on it like a horse."

Reinhardt leaned down and kissed Torbjorn on the cheek, lifting the tree onto his shoulders.

"I would have been there but you know how paperwork is." he said.

Torbjorn rubbed his cheek with a smile. The three headed back to the living room, tree in tow.

"Yeah yeah," he said "I’m sure it was very taxing. I hear you have cocoa ready, that true?"

"Indeed I do. Help.me with this and I’ll fetch it."

Fareeha groaned, bouncing in place as she waited for her drink. Brigitte ambled around to one of the chairs in the room, then over to the tv next to Fareeha’s toys. She began to mess with one of the action figures there.

Her mom and Torbjorn helped Reinhardt as he sat the tree onto the stand and secured it into place.

"Are you and Sam staying here this year or heading back to Canada?" Torbjorn asked.

"Not sure yet." Her mom hummed. "It would be difficult to get his entire family out here. And Fareeha adores her aunts. But with work and all it’s...."

He nodded.

"Is it done?" Fareeha asked

"Almost. Why don’t you two have a seat?"

Fareeha climbed up onto the couch nearest the fire.

“Brigitte come over here!”

Brigitte followed. She struggled to get up with her parka on and one hand still clasping Fareeha’s Terminator action figure, but she was nothing if not determined. Fareeha’s mom smiled, coming over and lifting Brigitte up to sit next to her.

There were a few clicks, and the tree was secured. Reinhardt tugged at the thin string constraining it, and the braches popped outward. The smell of pine filled the room, needles littered the ground, and the tree began to settle into place.

“Beautiful,” Reinhardt said looking at the two girls. “Now it is time for cocoa.”

He headed back into the kitchen, Torb and her mom appreciating the tree before taking a seat on the opposite couch.

"Is Broomhilde coming to the party?" her mom asked.

"She is," he smiled. "She’s bringing her camera so I’m sure no actual partying will be done with us all posing for pictures.”

"Oh good. I was hoping to have more baby pictures of the girls.”

Reinhardt returned with a tray of hot chocolate in hand. Three large mugs, one smaller cup, one tiny cup with a lid on it, and a can of whipped cream

"Here you go. Something to warm your bones.”

“Make sure it’s not too hot.” Torb said quickly.

“I cooled it off with milk. Just right.”

He handed a mug to Torbjorn and another to Fareeha’s mom. He set his own on a side table before kneeling down in front of Fareeha and Brigitte’s chair.

He carefully handed Fareeha her cup.

“Now this was made from scratch,” he smiled. “Not that instant stuff in the packets.”

“Is the whipped cream from scratch?”

“…no.”

He undid Brigitte’s cup and sprayed some in, then put a large dollop half the size of her cup on Fareeha’s. Brigitte reached out to hers, eyes bright with excitement. Even a baby could understand the thrill of impending sugar.”

"Wait wait," Fareeha said gently pushing the sippy cup away from Brigitte. "We gotta get sprinkles."

"Right you are!" Reinhardt said, pulling a small container of them from his pocket.

He poured a generous amount onto each of their mountains of whipped cream, the brightly colored flecks of sugary glitter shining like stars in their cups. He looked at Fareeha and she nodded her approval.

“Would the lady and the gentleman also like some sprinkles?” he asked, rising to join the others.He sat between the two, stretching his arms behind both of them.

“Well if they’re good enough for Brigitte I suppose they’re good enough for me.”

“Agreed.” Her mom laughed.

Reinhardt poured the sprinkles on top of their drinks as well, and the three clinked them together gently.

Fareeha very slowly and very carefully knocked hers against Brigitte’s. She had already begun drinking but that was unimportant. They sat there drinking their cocoa and listened quietly as the adults chatted away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Promise not all of these will be Pharah and Brige as kids, they'll be growing up as the fic continues.
> 
> Additional notes: At this point in the story overwatch is doing good and they all live together on base. Pharah and Brigitte are essentially raised communally with lots of love and several moms and dads. Ana and Sam are happily married, Torb and Rein are together/married, and Broomhilde (Torb's future wife) has been around for a year or so.
> 
> I've got this entire convuluted family dynamic and history written out on a chart next to my bed and you all have to dea with it.


	3. Chapter 3

 

Brigitte looked down at Fareeha, waving her plastic sword at her.

"You can’t defeat the dragon without me." she said

"I won’t! I just gotta get the treasure first!"

"But I wanna get the treasure too!"

Fareeha blinked, having forgotten. 

"Oh."

She swiftly slapped Reinhardt in the knees with her own plastic sword, charging past him to climb the small plastic set of stairs to the plastic tower that acted as their castle.

They were in the living room of the Overwatch barracks. Their tower stood looking over their vast kingdom of upturned couches and chairs. The fields of carpet and blankets long harvested for construction of their barricades and forts. The peasants hid their plastic and plush bodies under bookshelves and tables, seeking refuge from the approaching monster.

"Ach!" Reinhardt yelped, grabbing his knee and jumping up and down. The ground rumbled with his weight as Fareeha climbed The Tower, quickly joining Brigitte in the keep.

"Knight Lindholm thank god I found you!" Fareeha exclaimed with a smile. "The dragon has taken over the kingdom!”

"Knight Amari!" Brigitte said hugging her. The beads of Fareeha braids slapped gently against her face and became somewhat entangled in the plastic pink helmet that the younger girl wore. The urgency of defeating the creature was halted briefly as they untangled themselves.

"Let’s kill him!"

Fareeha agreed to this tactic with a hearty "Yeah!"

They quickly exited the keep, taking the secret passage slide out into the courtyard of green carpet and multi colored pillows. In the land of the living room, the two of them reigned supreme. Ever wise and eternally cool, they shared the kingdom and all of the toys therein. But as all rulers, when their home was attacked, they heeded the call to defend their country.

Reinhardt got onto his knees, baring his teeth and growling at the two. He was an unstoppable monster that only the two fiercest princess knights could defeat together. The large translucent wings strapped to his back could launch him miles into the air at any moment. And also he breathed fire.

Brigitte spun in several necessary and cool looking circles before stabbing at Reinhardt stomach with her sword.

Reinhardt let out a roar, to which knight Fareeha quickly slapped him in the side with her weapon.

"Get his ankles" Brigitte said, circling around to his feet.

"But he’s already on the ground" Fareeha said, still joining her companion at smacking at their babysitter’s ankles.

"Papa says it’s so they can’t get away."

Reinhardt toppled to the ground with a loud grunt.

"Not my ankles!"

"Hit them in the head first! Then don’t have to worry about them running away!" 

The two locked eyes, wordlessly sharing their attack plan.

Fareeha began smacking at Reinhardt’s head from above, hitting the back of his skull.  Brigitte took the lower route, smacking him directly in the nose.

Reinhardt quickly rose, grabbing the both of them around the waist and hoisting them up off their feet. They both squealed, Brigitte laughing at the sudden rush in her stomach as Fareeha giggled wildly next to her.

"Knight Brigitte!"

"Aim for the heart!"

"Yeah it’s the only way to defeat him!"

They began swinging at Reinhardt’s chest. Brigitte was still learning to read, but it was the shirt with a colorful cartoon pepper on it and one of her favorite. She aimed at the cartoon’s eyes, directing her companion to do the same.

Reinhardt gurgled and sputtered, falling again to the floor. He lurched, swinging the girls onto his chest as his back slowly hit the floor.

"No! I am defeated!" he cried, throwing one arm over his eyes while another flung dramatically to his side.

They giggled and cheered, Fareeha helping Brigitte to climb over her uncle's chest as the two made their way to the other side of the room where the dragon’s treasure lay.

The treasure of course was stored in a plastic chest covered in various glitter stickers and plastic stick on gems. The dragon had stolen it in his initial attack on the peaceful kingdom. Why or how was not important, only that they had found it together.

They each hoisted up the lid, revealing mounds of old chipped jewelry, plastic guns, stuffed animals and, to their surprise, a few pieces of candy, two cans of soda, and carefully wrapped rainbow colored rice crisp balls.

They both gasped.

"You got candy?" Brigitte asked, turning to Reinhardt. The spell of their imaginary world broken.

He still laid on the floor but couldn’t keep a straight face.

"Thank you Reinhardt!" Fareeha said, quickly turning and throwing herself onto his chest in a hug.

"Yeah thanks!" Brigitte said, falling onto her friends back. The dogpile was quickly disturbed as Reinhardt sat up and pulled them into a hug.

"Well it’s what you get for being such brave knights." He smiled.

"Can I drink this now? Mom never lets me drink soda this late."

He scooped them up and carried them over to the inflatable mattress in front of the tv. Brigitte always insisted on bringing it out whenever Fareeha spent the night. Something about a plastic bag full of air was always enjoyable for sleepovers.

"Well....I’ll pretend I didn’t know if you promise to not stay up making too much noise." Reinhardt said. He placed them onto the mattress and tossed them their candy.

"We promise!" Brigitte replied, she was already fiddling with a chocolate bar, trying to figure out how to open it with her uncoordinated hands.

The kingdom saved and the dragon now reverted back to their loving protector, the two were focusing on their reward. Reinhardt stretched, lazily tossing blankets and pillows at the girls. Outside the sun had just finished setting and they could both sense it was time to settle down for the night.

"Can we watch a movie?" Fareeha asked, bouncing on the mattress. Brigitte was tossed a few inches into the air but was not deterred from there candy.

"Of course!” Reinhardt replied “Which would you like?"

"Terminator!"

"Your mother has told me expressly not to allow you to watch that."

"But she also said not to let me drink soda after dark." 

Reinhardt laughed, gathering up the stuffed animals and action figures he was able to find and lining them carefully up on the couch.

"Your attempt is noted."

"The wizard one!" Brigitte offered, finally freeing her prize. “Cause we’re magic.”

"Now that wouldn’t be so bad."

"But it’s gotta be the very first one!"

Reinhardt nodded, going over to the television to change the channel. She looked over at Fareeha who seemed pleased with the choice, if still disappointed her plan to watch an action movie had failed. Brigitte held out her candy bar to her friend and Fareeha graciously took a small bite.

Brigitte loved sleepovers with Fareeha. Whenever her parents went out on a date or a mission she would come over to their apartment. And if papa and mama and Reinhardt were away on a mission, or a date, she would head over to the other side of the barracks to stay with the Amari’s. Tonight both were true. The Amari’s had gone for an evening out, while papa and mama were working on something for work. That left Reinhardt there to babysit them, something they both took advantage of, managing to talk him into letting them build up a fortress in the common living area.

The two scampered under the blankets, arranging pillows and stuffed animals around them. The sides of their bed were built up with couch cushions and blankets and a single kitchen chair. All of them completely necessary, as they had explained to Reinhardt. This served as their fortress against any would be attacking lizards. A country cottage, Brigitte had decided, for the princesses to visit on vacation.

The screen switched from cartoons to the opening credits of their film. One they had both watched 100 times before.

Reinhardt brought over the remains of their treasure and sat it before them, before taking to sitting on the recliner at their side.

"Are you going to sleep?" Brigitte asked.

"No no just resting my eyes." He smiled, hands across hands stomach and eyes already half closed.

Fareeha rolled her eyes, turning to her companion.

The movie played and the two lay there transfixed.  

Soon the credits rolled, the sound of the orchestra and Reinhardt snores the only thing left.

"It’s 9. This is the latest I’ve ever stayed up." Brigitte said

"I stayed up till midnight once." Fareeha said, now nibbling at the last of her rice crispy treat. They both whispered, keeping quiet for their guardian.

"Woah"

"I’m gonna try and stay up til then again."

"I’ll try too!"

"You don’t have to."

"I wanna."

Fareeha smiled.

It occurred to them both that with Reinhardt asleep and the movie over, they didn’t have much to do.

“I wish dragons were real.” Brigitte said after a time. She was thinking about the ones in the movie and how fun it had been when Reinhardt was one. “They’d be really cool.”

“I bet we could tame one.” Fareeha said. “And train it to cook us food.”

“That’d be cool.

They both tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. Fareeha looked around for the remote, replaying the movie.

"Ummi says she fought an omnic like that once.”

“Huh?”

Fareeha looked at her with a smile

“An omnic back in the war. It was as big as a house and was attacking a town in England."

"Did she kill it?"

"Yeah. Her and uncle Jack both got it."

Brigitte smiled, thinking of her father’s friend and the man who frequently visited her family. They all had so many stories from the war. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to hear all of them. She loved hearing about them from her friend.

Something occurred to her though, thinking of both aunt Ana and uncle Jack fighting such a large creature

"Think we’ll ever have to fight one like that?"

Fareeha scrunched up her face in thought, picking at the threads of their blankets.

"No, they’re all dead." She replied flatly.

"No they’re not."

Fareeha rolled to her side to look at her.

"Well the big ones are. Not the nice ones."

"I know! But the big ones are gonna come back some day." Brigitte clutched her pillow to her chest, the thought sending a shiver down her spine.

"Nuh uh."

"Yeah! Papa says so." she hissed. “He knows all about them cause he made them.”

Fareeha paused, a look of worry crossing her face. It worried Brigitte. The other girl was older and therefore the one she turned to when things were uncertain on confusing. Seeing her pause was upsetting.

"Well IF they do then yeah we'll fight em." She eventually said. “Shouldn’t be that hard since our parents have.”

“I guess.”

“I’m gonna use a gun." Fareeha said. "or a bazooka or something like that."

"I would use a sword." Brigitte said, wiggling under her blankets.

Fareeha's eyes brightened, mind racing with new ideas. Brigitte quickly felt her excitement getting to her.

"Maybe we could use a lasso like the old cowboy movies!" Freeha said.

"Or a giant axe!"

"Yeah!"

And like that, the two found themselves talking into the night, their whispers just low enough to not wake their resting guardian, midnight coming an going as easily as their talk of the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna take a break from this for awhile. I'm just happy to have contributed even this small pre-relationship content for the good ship pharah/brigitte. I'll see if I can update maybe once a month from now on, but who knows! I hope it's been enjoyed so far!

**Author's Note:**

> Ok ok ok listen I KNOW I have another wip but that wip was eventually going to lead to the story of how Pharha and Brigitte came to date and with the absolute BANGER of a reveal of Brigitte's character design and lineage yesterday how the fuck can I NOT get started on it early?
> 
> Anyways that's why this is here now. Some of Eichenwalde will be spoiled if this one moves faster I guess. But all you need to know is Brigitte and Pharah grow up loved and cared for and being bffs before growing into beautiful awkward gawky gays for each other.
> 
> Tags to be added as I go!


End file.
